Ask to use material, get more information or tell us about an item
The NZBU Commentator, M. D. Laurenson continues with an account of the operation in Greece, which came to an end with the evacuation of the allied forces.
In spite of tremendous air activity against the New Zealand troops, they kept the enemy at bay. The German High Command threw more and more men into action with a total disregard for casualties. The German soldiers were shot down by our men like "wheat before a scythe".
With more and more Germans pouring into the gap, our forces were overrun by sheer numbers. Orders came through that our brigade was to retire. Our men were exhausted with days of killing German soldiers.
By 20 April 1941 the withdrawal to Thermopylae was complete. Two days later it was decided to evacuate Greece. The New Zealand soldiers were collected at night in little groups from the beaches, and embarked on all sorts of small boats to be towed out to waiting ships and comparative safety.